A-Z Of Australasian Psych

By Greg Watt

 

Australasian music has always followed overseas trends whilst  having a distinctive, identifiable sound of it’s own. In the early 60s  it was either surf music similar to the American sound, instrumentals a la The Shadows or rock and roll epitomised by the likes of ‘The  Wild One’ - Johnny O’Keefe. Just as the Beatles influenced much of the world musically, the same happened in Aust/NZ. Beat and Pop Bands sprung up everywhere or current bands changed the type of music they played. English R&B Bands were also a big influence. There is a notable similarity in style between Bands such as The Pretty Things and Rolling Stones or The Yardbirds and say, Masters Apprentices, The Throb or The Missing Links , or in New Zealand, The La De Das or Chants RnB.

In fact  a great number of bands contained members who themselves or their families had migrated from the UK.

A number of Bands crossed over into other musical styles. Quality Pop music by homegrown Bands was commonly seen and heard on local radio and television. Although there were probably not a lot of bands that were considered exclusively Psychedelic, many recorded and played something in this style. Many also continued on into the Progressive era creating some interesting Psych/Prog  crossovers. In fact the early 70s was possibly when music and Bands ‘downunder’ seemed to actually really start to believe in themselves and realise they were as good as anything or anyone in the US or England.  No.1  albums, Gold Records, outdoor festivals, etc were now commonplace.

Below is a list of Bands and songs from approx. 1966-1972 that hopefully fit into the Freakbeat, Psych, Psych/Prog sound. It is by no means definitive and will most likely bring on disagreements on some entries or descriptions, so any additions or discussion are  more than welcome.

 

 

A

  • Alison Gros– from Adelaide. One member went on to international fame as a member of Little River– who should be of little or no interest to anyone that visits this site. The track to lookout for is ’Naturally’ which talks of magic carpet rides and shows the harmony work and hints of Country/Pop for which members would become more well known for.

           Naturally/Would You Really Have To Go (Gamba) 1970

 

  • The Atlantics– Great and under-appreciated band that formed back in 1961. Started out as an Instrumental Surf Band and had a number of hits, especially ‘Bombora’. By 1966 they had become a tough Garage Band then moved on to record a variety of styles including straight Pop and harder edged Freakbeat material and finally Psych/Prog. Although they probably never recorded a straight out Psych track, a number of their releases would definitely appeal to people reading this, especially ‘It’s A Hard Life’, ‘Come On’, ‘When I Look Into My Life’ and ‘Light Shades Of Dark’.

          It’s A Hard Life / Why Do You Treat Me Like You Do (Sunshine) 1966

          I Put A Spell On You/ By The Glow Of A Candle (Sunshine) 1967

          Come On/ You Tell Me Why  (Sunshine) 1967

          Sunshine and Roses/ When I Look Into My Life  (Ramrod)  1967

          Light Shades Of Dark Pts. 1 &2 (Under Alias—Gift Of Love) (Ramrod) 1969

 

  • Greg Anderson– Most of his stuff is easy listening and of no interest, but his version of ‘I Feel Good’ with backing by Vince Maloney Sect is excellent and fits into the Freakbeat mould  very well.
            I Feel Good/When It’s All Over (Kommotion) 1966

 

 

B

  • Bakery– More of a hard Rock or Progressive Band, but ’No Dying In The Dark’ is definitely worth checking out, particularly if you  enjoy Psych/Prog crossover sound.

            No Dying In The Dark/ Trust In The Lord  (Astor) 1971

 

  • Tony Barber-Another English migrant who joined Billy Thorpe in The Aztecs within a month of arriving in Australia. He actually wrote both the tracks on their first single. He left after their third single and went solo, with his first 45 being of a similar sound to his previous band. Good, beat singles.

          Someday/Is It Raining?                                                                         Spin       1966

          Wait By The Water/What Now?                                                           Spin       1966

          No No No/Wondrous Place                                                                 Spin       1966

 

  • Black Diamonds-Not Psych but a Band that could play great melodic, Pop/Rock or tough Garage Punk as is evident on this excellent double sider. They evolved into the Prog Band Tymepiece.

            See The Way/ I Want, Need, Love You (Festival)  1966

 

  • Blackfeather– Formed in 1970 out of The Dave Miller Set so not really a Psych band, but their album ’Mountains Of Madness’ is well worth seeking out as the title track and both sides of the single, which are on the album  below, show definite Psych leanings.

            Seasons Of Change/On This Day That I Die  (Infinity)  1971

 

  • Bee Gees– Where do you start? Family migrated to Australia in 1958. Released their first  45 in 1963 followed by another eight singles but it wasn’t until the release of ‘Spicks and Specks’ in 1966 that they really hit the big time. Returned to the UK in early 1967 where they teamed up with Robert Stigwood. At this stage they were a 5 piece Band and this era between 1967 and 1970, when Vince Malouney and Colin Paterson left would be when they were at their best. Too many tracks to list but basically anything between ‘67 and ‘70 is worth checking out.

 

  • Peter Best– No info known here, but if you like pop/psych then this track should definitely appeal to you.

          Carousel Of Love/?   (Columbia)  1967

 

  • Bobby & Laurie– Very popular Beat Band whose roots go back to 1959 for Laurie Allen and 1963 for Bobbie Bright. At their peak from 1965 to 1967 with a number of releases on the Go! And Parlophone labels. Not a Psych Band but the singles and album below are worth looking out for. I Belong With You and Tonight When I Come Home have somewhat of a freakbeat sound.

          Hitch Hiker/You’ll Come ’Round (Parlophone) 1966

          High Noon/Tonight When I Come Home (Parlophone) 1966

          Every Second Day (from LP Exposaic) (Parlophone) 1966

 

  • Terry Britten– Joined the Twilights as a 19 year old in 1965. After much success they split in 1969 which was the same year he released the great double sider below. He became an in demand session musician in England and wrote and produced a number of hits for people, including Cliff Richard and Tina Turner.

          2000 Weeks/Bargain Day  (Colombia) 1969

 

  • Ray Brown & The Whispers—One of the previously mentioned instrumental bands who picked up on the trends of the time when they heard The Beatles. Became hugely popular in the mid 60s and had a number of hits which were mostly obscure covers. The B-sides often contained some good Beat tracks such as ‘Go To Him’ with it’s distinctive guitar work. In 1969 he formed Moonstone who released one album which contains Psychedelic, Eastern and Country sounds.

          Pride/ Say It Again  (Leedon) 1965

          Fool Fool Fool/ Go To Him (Leedon) 1965

          Ain’t It Strange/ Can’t Get Enough (Festival)  1966

 

  •  The Bucket-Renowned for their single which was written by Mick Bower who had been a member and chief songwriter for The Masters Apprentices , who was forced to leave after suffering a nervous breakdown. There was talk that Bower was actually a member but he only wrote the sought after a-side of their one and only 45. A great talent lost.

          I Can’t Help Thinking Of You/?  (Festival)  1968

 

  • Ronnie Burns-For awhile he was right up there with Normie Rowe in the male popularity stakes. Left the Beatle copyist band The Flies to go solo. Was essentially a pop singer but if you are a Bee Gees fan you might want to track down some of his releases as they wrote the singles, Coalman and Exit Stage Right plus some album tracks. Terry Britten of The Twilights wrote the single Age Of Consent.

          Very Last Day/Let It Be Me                                              (Spin)     1965

          Coalman/All The King’s Horses                                       (Spin)     1967

          Exit Stage Right/In The Morning                                      (Spin)     1967

          Age Of Consent/Picadilly Pages                                       (Spin)      1968

         Albums

         Ronnie                                                                               (Spin)      1967

 

 

C

  • Campact– Started  out in 1967 as a Stax/Tamla Motown influenced Soul group, perhaps similar to The Action. Their music style varied considerably over their releases, but their one true Psychedelic gem is ‘Drawing Room’ although some of their singles could be described as psychedelic/ pop. They evolved into the prog/head band Company Caine.

           Drawing Room/ I’m Your Puppet  (Festival)  1968

 

  • Chain– Started in Perth in 1967 as The Beaten Tracks doing covers of current British material. They moved to the Eastern States and over the years and innumerable line up changes became Australia’s premier blues band. The B—side of their first single has it’s psychedelic moments but after that, it was blues all the way, of which their releases are well respected.

           Show Me Home/ Mr Time  (Festival)  1969

 

  • Clapham Junction– Very English sounding which might not be surprising as a number of members were British and they were named after an English Railway Station. Only released the one 45 of which the A-side would appeal to readers of this site.

           Emily On A Saturday/ Good Time Music    (Du Monde)  1970

 

  • The Creatures-Not really psych, but these guys could lay claim to being one of the wildest of Australian 60’s bands. The Oz equivalent of bands such as Count Five or the Shadows Of Knight but with the UK attitude as well of bands such as the Pretty Things, they were never going to be accepted in the mainstream, especially as they wore loooong pastel coloured wigs when onstage. They recorded the tough and manic “Ugly Thing” in 1967 which was completely out of step for the times but has since had a reissue series and a magazine named after it, such is its ferocity and legendary status. They became The Chocolate and released a cover of I’m an Animal in 1969, also out of synch with the times.

          Ugly Thing/You’re One And Only Man  

          RCA   (1967)                 

 

 

 

E

  • The Easybeats– After The Bee Gees , The Easybeats would be Australia’s best known 60s band.  Their releases show their ability to play great Beat, Pop and Psych, and in Vanda/Young they had a truly great songwriting team. Formed in 1964 by Dutch, English and Scottish migrant children, they went on to record a succession of excellent tracks from 1965-1969, many of which were hits in Australia, and one, ’Friday On My Mind, was a hit overseas as well. After concerts around the country that contained hysterical scenes and screaming similar to Beatles  appearances, they left for the UK midway through 1966, recording some classic Psych/Pop tracks until their split in 1970. There are a number of compilations available, some of which contain hard to find or previously unavailable material, that are worth tracking down (particularly "The Shame Just Drained") but some psych singles definitely worth hearing are:

           The Music Goes Round My Head/Come In You’ll Get Pneumonia     (Parlophone) 1968

          Falling Off The Edge Of The World/ Hello How Are You (Parlophone)  1968

          Land Of Make Believe/ Good Times  (Parlophone)   1968

          Peculiar Hole In The Sky/ H.P. Man (Parlophone ) 1969

 

  • The Elois-From country Victoria, but after moving to Melbourne they issued one of the wildest double sided pieces of Australian punk/freakbeat from the 1960’s.Another band that wore their Stones/Pretty things influences on their sleeve, I’m A Man was a great version and their self penned By My Side is a must hear with some great guitar work. They apparently recorded four other tracks but had broken up by the time they were ready for release.

           I’m A Man/By My Side                                            (In)     1967

 

  • The Executives-  A Pop Band who specialised in harmonies. They had male and female vocalists and sometimes sounded similar to The Mamas and The Papas. Whilst most Australian Bands of this era attempted to make it in the UK when they had outgrown the Australian market, The Executives actually moved to the U.S and signed with the Buddah label. More of a breezy Pop band they had a couple of Psychedelic moments with ‘Moving In A Circle’ and ‘Summerhill Road’.

           Moving In A Circle/ Windy Day   (Festival) 1968

          Christopher Robin/ Summerhill Road   (Festival)  1968

 

 

F

  • The Five-A Brisbane band of the mid 60’s that released three singles that were mostly R&B but the track There’s Time has a freakbeat sort of sound about it.

           There’s Time/I Can’t Find Her                                                      Sunshine      1966

           Bright Lights Big City/Wasting My Time                                           “             1966

 

  • Fraternity- Definitely more of a Prog/Hard Rock Band, they did record a decent version of The Blackfeather’s “Seasons Of Change” which was a hit in their home town of Adelaide. Bon Scott, of course, was a member, post Valentine’s and pre AC/DC.

           Seasons Of Change / Somerville R.I.P  (Sweet Peach)   1971

 

  • Mike Furber (&The Bowery Boys) - Born in 1948 Furber was another British migrant who rose to great heights in the 60s, but in this case came to a sad and mysterious end. With the Bowery Boys he released three excellent Freakbeat singles including a cover of The Mockingbirds ‘You Stole My Love’ which is quite possibly better than the original. He then went solo, and although his popularity waned, a best of album is definitely worth seeking out as some of his later material was still strong, even including his last single which was written specifically for him by Vanda/Young. After bouts of depression and failed attempts in stage musicals, he sadly hanged himself in 1973, although there is still talk that he was murdered after he became involved with a Kings Cross prostitute, drugs and underworld figures of Sydney. Go HERE to read a recent newspaper article on Mike's mysterious death.

           Just A Poor Boy/ Mailman Bring Me No More Blues  (Sunshine)  1966

          You Stole My Love/ It’s Gonna Work Out Fine  ( Sunshine)  1966

          You/ That’s When Happiness Began    (Kommotion)  1966

 

 

G

  • The Gathering-Released quite a few singles but it is only the first one, of which the a-side is a cover of The (UK) Spectrum track and the b-side which is a band composition that show pop/psych leanings that would interest collectors.

           Portabello Road/Get Ready For Me  (Astor)  1968

 

  • Glass Web– Released two singles and even though they are out of the usual time frame for psych releases both sides of the first single have been comped and have psych leanings.

           In A Year Or So/Two Faced Woman (Nationwide) 1971

 

  • The Groop– Formed in 1964, their earlier singles from the first line up were of little interest except for ‘Empty Words’. The second line up which came together in 1966 however were  responsible for at least two excellent Psych/Pop/Rock tracks in ‘Woman You’re Breaking Me’ and ‘Such A Lovely Way’. Another of the bands from this era who tried to make it in the UK but were unsuccessful, in their case from mid’67 to late ‘68. Best of releases are available but as is the case for a lot of Bands from this era there is a wide mix of material and quality.

           Empty Words/ Gun and Flowerpot Trick     (CBS)  1966

          Woman You’re Breaking Me/ Mad Over You   (CBS)  1967

          Such A Lovely Way/We Can Talk  (CBS) 1969

 

  • The Groove– Really more of a Soul/Tamla sounding group but like a lot of Bands of the era they dabbled in other styles. Another Band like The Groop who won a national Battle Of The Sounds prize, which were return tickets to the UK. Whilst there they recorded ‘The Wind’, which has since turned up on one of the Rubble compilations “Magic Rocking Horse.” The b-side is also quite good with more of an organ driven rock sound.

           The Wind/Play The Song  (Columbia) 1969

 

 

H

  • Healing Force– Only together for one year, this band were well respected musicians from a variety of top groups such as Bakery and The Twilights. In fact one member went to England and played with Be Bop Deluxe. Their one and only single is not Psych but it has the reputation of being one of the great early Prog singles to come out of Australia.

           Golden Miles/ The Gully   (Sparmac)  1971

  • Hugo-Apparently a band and not a solo artist, the b-side of their single has a pleasant pop/psych sound that sounds as though it should have come out much earlier than it did.

           Hey Watch Out/Girl In The Garden  (N/K)  1969

 

 

I

  • The Imagination-Nothing exceptional here but “We Got Fun” has been comped and could be of interest to pop/psych fans.

           Day In The Life/We Got Fun  (Parlophone)  1969

  • Inside Looking Out– Very little known about this band  other than that they were from Adelaide and they released two great singles that should interest Psych collectors, especially ‘Long Live Sivananda’ and the great ‘H.M.S Buffalo’. Morning Sun is a good cover of the Traffic song.

           On Whom The Favour  Fall/ Long Live Sivananda   (Sunshine)  1969

          HMS Buffalo/ Morning Sun      (Festival)  1970

  • In-Sect-Started out in the early 60’s and became the In-Sect (great name) in 1966.One of the few bands of this era to release an album (Insect A Sides). The album, and apparently their stage show, was a mix of middle of the road, top 40 covers, showband or wild R&B/freakbeat such as their first two singles mentioned below. After this they ended up doing novelty singles and appearing in cabaret nights. I Can See My Love is definitely worth tracking down.

          Let This Be A Lesson/Take It Easy                                 (W&G)   1966

          I Can See My Love/More Than I Can Say                        (W&G)   1966

 

 

 

J

  • James Taylor Move—Another Adelaide band, this time more well known. They released two excellent singles; all four sides are worth hearing. ’And I Heard The Fire Sing’ shows their Hendrix/Cream influences, ‘Magic Eyes’ is great Pop-Psych and ‘Still I Can Go On’ is closest to straight Psych. Members later moved to England and became renowned session musicians one actually writing for Cliff Richard and with Leo Sayer, but let’s not hold that against him.

           Magic Eyes/And I Heard The Fire Sing       (Festival)   1967

          Baby Jane/ Still I Can Go On     (Festival)   1967

 

  • Jeff St John And The Id– Actually more of a Soul/R&B Band  they did  issue a Psychedelic B-side in ‘Eastern Dream’, in amongst their three singles. Jeff St John was renowned for his powerful voice and (due to spina bifida) his stage presence where he did all manner of tricks in his wheelchair . He later formed Jeff St John and Copperwine who released a worthwhile album in 1970 called ‘Joint Effort’.

           Black Girl/ Eastern Dream     (Spin)  1966

 

 

K

  • Kahvas Jute– More of a Prog/Hard Rock Band, their album ‘Wide Open’ is very collectable, with excellent guitar work. Bob Daisley, their bass player went to England in 1971 and became what could be best described as a journeyman musician, with stints in Chicken Shack, Mungo Jerry, Widowmaker, Rainbow, Uriah Heep and Blizzard Of Ozz amongst others. Their single has, like many releases from this era, a Psych/Prog crossover sound

           Free/Ascend        (Infinity)    1971

 

  • King Fox– School boy band from the rich Sydney suburb of Vaucluse. Their parents put up the money for all their instruments, equipment and recording costs but when end of year exams were failed they halted their careers. Their vocalist/keyboard player went on to have a huge hit with the Pop/Jazz single ‘Bad Habits’ in 1981,but don’t be in any hurry to hunt it down.

           Unforgotten Dreams/ Alone So Alone   (Du Monde)   1970

          Timepiece/Will You Love Me Tomorrow  (Du Monde)  1970

 

 

L

  • Leather Sandwich-Very little, in fact nothing known about this band except that they were from Melbourne and that the b-side of their Move cover is a nice haunting little pop/psych number.

          Kilroy Was Here/Quite Unexpectedly                               (Philips)      1968

 

  • Lloyd’s World-A group of young musos who supposedly were well thought of by Robert Stigwood and the Bee Gees. They did the obligatory thing for Australian bands of the time who wanted to make it in the UK and set off on a cruise ship, playing their way to England. Unfortunately when they got there Mr Stigwood seemed to have little time for them and they fell apart. A couple of members supposedly went on to play with a band in England called the Red Squares, but whether this is the same UK band that made their way to Denmark I don’t know.

          Brass Bird/Dandylion Wine                                           (Festival)        1968

 

  • Lost Souls-From Melbourne, this band featured future Spectrum and Aerial member Bill Putt. Formed in 1965 they won a battle of the bands contest, the prize being a one off single deal. Both sides of the resulting 45 were great pieces of moody Yardbirds inspired R&B/freakbeat. An e.p. of previously unreleased tracks was issued in the 80’s.

          This Life Of Mine/Peace Of Mind          (Sunshine)     1966                               

          The Lost Souls EP           (Kavern 7)      1986                                              

  • Lotus-A Sydney band formed in 1970 and accordingly were more of the prog era, but their one and only single fits into that psych/prog crossover period and is well liked by collectors of this genre.

           Lotus 1(I’ll Be Gone)/Epoch                                            (Parlophone)    1970

 

M

  • Chris Malcolm-Nothing known about him but the a-side of the track mentioned below starts with a nice doomy organ sound and has some good fuzz guitar. It can be found on the compilation “A Forest Of Goldtops.” It’s on the label started by The Atlantics so it would be interesting to know if they provided the backing on his two singles.

         Hurt, Love And Fire/Trip On Life                                                     (Ramrod)     1968  

  •  **** Daniel McGlynn from New Zealand has kindly pointed out that Chris Malcolm was the lead singer of the NZ Avengers who apparently was a bit of a drifter and took off for the States, so it’s highly likely he recorded this while in Aust.

 

  • Master’s Apprentices-One of Australia’s greatest bands. They formed in Adelaide in 1965 and by the time they split up in 1972 they had covered every musical trend of the time, from R&B to pop/psych, psychedelia, hard rock and progressive rock, and the fact that they did it so well helped people in Australia realise that we were capable of producing music as good as anywhere in the world. In their early days they were influenced by the blues masters such as John Lee Hooker and Muddy Waters as well as the usual British R&B bands. Their first single, Undecided/ Wars Or Hands Of Time is one of the great Australian double sided 45s. After their third single, Living In A Child’s Dream, their songwriter Mick Bower had a nervous breakdown and left the band, but after Doug Ford (ex Missing Links and Running Jumping Standing Still) came on board, he and singer Jim Keays formed a great song writing team. They twice tried to make it in England in 1970 and 1971, recording their last two excellent progressive albums there. After Jim Keays and bassist Glenn Wheatley left in 1972 they soldiered on as a three piece until 1973. Just about all of their recordings are worth hearing, although I’ve listed what I consider their best below. At least, a best of compilation is a must have item.

 

         Singles

         Undecided/Wars Or Hands Of Time                                                  (Astor)        1966

         Buried and Dead/She’s My Girl                                                         (Astor)        1967

         Living In A Child’s Dream/Tired Of Just Wandering                       (Astor)        1967

         Elevator Driver/Theme For A Social Climber                                   (Astor)        1968

         Linda Linda/Merry Go Round                                                            (Columbia) 1969

         Think About Tomorrow Today/A Dog, A Siren and Memories        (Columbia) 1969

         Turn Up Your Radio/Jam It Up                                                          (Columbia) 1970

         Because I Love You/I’m Your Satisfier                                             (Columbia) 1971

         Albums

        The Master’s Apprentices                                                                   (Astor)        1967

        Masterpiece                                                                                         (Columbia) 1970

        Choice Cuts                                                                                         (Columbia) 1971

        A Toast To Panama Red                                                                     (Columbia) 1972

 

  • Toni McCann-English born, Brisbane raised singer who, backed by Tony Worsley’s Fabulous Blue Jays. She released two of the wildest garage/R&B singles you’re likely to hear, let alone by a female who was only 15 at the time! Her voice has drawn comparisons to Wanda Jackson.

          My Baby/No                                                                                     Sunshine       1965

          Saturday Date/If You Don’t Come Back                                         Everybody’s  1966

 

  • Mecca-Comprised of ex Barrington Davis Powerpact and Throb members they were formed in Sydney in 1969,they had one of Australia’s legendary guitarists in Dennis Wilson as one of their members. They released the one single that shows psych influences but they were more hard rock. Wilson went on to the much respected Kahvas Jute. Black Sally was covered by the equally revered New Zealand band Human Instinct.

          Black Sally/Side Street Man                                       (Festival)     1970

 

  • Dave Miller Set-Dave Miller formed this band in Sydney 1967 after his group from New Zealand fell apart on arrival in Australia. They released five singles between 1967 and 1970, plus two ep’s made up of single tracks. The third and fourth are the best, especially their version of Eire Apparent’s Mr Guy Fawkes, which with its brilliant production is probably better than the original. The b-side is also worth hearing. Their highly regarded guitarist, John Robinson went on to be a founding member of Blackfeather where his guitar heroics really came to the fore.

            Let’s Get Together/A Bread And Butter Day           (Spin)     1968

            Mr Guy Fawkes/ Someone Is Sure To                     (Spin)     1968

 

  • Missing Links-Definitely not psych, but if you’re into wild R&B/Freakbeat played by long haired Stones/Pretty Things enthusiasts then it doesn’t come much better than this. You’re Drivin’ Me Insane is essential listening and as wild, if not wilder than the bands mentioned above. Had two distinct line ups between 1964 and 1967.Members then went on to form another wild band in Running Jumping Standing Still. For once a band of this era left a decent legacy of recorded material. One of their tracks was covered by The Saints on their debut album.

          The Missing Links-S/T                                       (Philips)     1966

          The Links Unchained (EP)                                  (Philips)     1966

          Driving Me Insane/Something Else                      (Philips)     1966

          Wild About You/Nervous Breakdown                   (Philips)      1966

 

  • The Moods-Another of those mid 60’s R&B bands that offered a tough Yardbirds/Pretty Things influence. In fact they actually supported the Rolling Stones on tour in 1966.Not psych, but not really beat either, their singles, especially the a-sides, and particularly Rum Drunk, are definitely worth hearing and of course are very rare and collectible.

         Cos Of You/Say Hello To Me      (HMV)        1966                         

          Rum Drunk/I Love You So          (HMV)        1966                                  

 

  •   Moonstone-Formed by Ray Brown after he left The Whispers and stardom of the mid 60’s behind and went to the US, upon his return to Aust. in 1969.They released the one album which had a blend of all sorts of influences, and one single. At least two album tracks would be of interest to people here as they have turned up on Electric Sitar Headswirlers compilations.

           Madhouse                                                            (Festival)     1970

 

  • The Morloch-A Sydney band with all the right influences who released three singles of mixed interest to people here. Time Machine is thought of in some circles as Australia’s first psychedelic release. Released three singles of which most are more beat or pop sounding and a number of which have been comped. Time Machine is the one to look out for.

          Time Machine/Hit The Road Jack                             (Parlophone)    1966

          From The Start/It’s Time You Realised                     (Parlophone)     1966  

 

  • Russell Morris-Started off in the band Somebody’s Image who had a minor hit with their version of “Hush” in 1967 and their best release, Hide And Seek in 1968. He then went solo, and with rock journalist Ian “Molly” Meldrum as his manager and producer he went into the studio with The Groop as his backing band to record the seven minute psych epic, The Real Thing. With its great production for the time, it was a huge hit in Australia and was also released in the US and UK. The follow up, Part Three Into Paper Walls was really an extension of, or more of the same sort of thing, although it is still as good as The Real Thing. Nothing else he recorded was in the same mould unfortunately.

 

         The Real Thing/ It’s Only A Matter Of Time 

         (Columbia) 1969                                        

         Part Three Into Paper Walls/ The Girl That I Love                               

         (Columbia) 1969

  • MPD Limited-Formed in mid ’65 and were right up there with the big names in Australian pop for a short while, with all the screaming girls and top ten hits. Their early singles were good beat type covers of well known songs. Unfortunately their quality self penned later tracks were not as well received. Tried the UK thing, but only lasted four months before returning to Australia and releasing one more single before splitting.

          Little Boy Sad/Wendy Don’t Go                                         (Go!)     1965

          Lonely Boy/The Wild Side Of Life                                     (Go!)     1965

          Walkin’ In The Sand/If You Were Mine                             (Go!)     1966

         No Regrets/I Won’t Be Back                                               (Go!)     1966

         Absence Makes The Heart Grow Fonder/I Am What I Am(Go!)     1966

         Paper Doll/You Might As Well Forgive Him                      (Go!)     1967

 

  • The Mystrys-Certainly hit the scene in mid ’66  in Sydney with all sorts of hype along the lines of “Are the Beatles holidaying in Australia?” To go with their name they all wore velvet hoods on stage and had the following names-Ankarr, Gmx. Zroag, Kuff and Starfinn. Starfinn was particularly unusual as although there were only four band members on stage he was a regular member but was invisible.

          Witch Girl/Land Of The Green Sun                      (Orbit) or (Leedon)        1966

 

 

P

  • Doug Parkinson In Focus- Formed from the ashes of the pop/psych band The Questions, from 1968-1970 they issued a number of fine psych, pop or psych/prog singles, which were sometimes tucked away on b-sides. Their version of Dear Prudence is quite good with Parkinson’s deep, raspy voice up front. They had a hit with Without You which has a great guitar riff throughout it. When they split up he formed the short lived heavy sounding Fanny Adams with Vince Melouney-ex Bee Gees. They released an album on MCA, split, Parkinson reformed In Focus for one single, they split and he went solo. Phew!

 

         Dear Prudence/This Must Be The End                                                   (Columbia)   1969

         Today I Feel No Pain/Theme From The Twelfth House                        (Columbia)   1969

         Without You/Hair                                                                                   (Columbia)    1970

         Baby Blue Eyes/Then I Run                                                                   (Columbia)    1970

 

  • Pastoral Symphony-A studio band that contained members from The Strangers, The Groop and The Twilights, their one and only single was a minor hit. It was a well produced piece of pop/psych with plenty of studio trickery of the times.

         Love Machine/Spread A Little Love Around                                         (Festival)    1968

  •  The (Australian ) Playboys- Normie Rowe’s backing band. They released a number of instrumental singles in 1965 and 1966 while backing Rowe but it was in 1967 when backing him in England that they went into the studio and recorded one of thee great doubled sided psych singles, especially the awesome “ Sad “.Unfortunately a one off, but a must hear! They evolved into the band, Procession.

           Black Sheep R.I.P./ Sad              (Sunshine)-Aust.   (Immediate)-U.K.   1967

 

  • Proclamation- Perth band who were on the scene from ’68-’72 but only released the one single, but a good one it is. Good double sided pop/psych, especially the a-side.

          King Of The Mountain/Tea And Symphony        (Clarion)   1968

 

  •  Procession-Formed after three members of The Playboys left to put together an original and more progressive band. They started in a blaze of hype and publicity and their plan was to make everything they did an Australian “first”. e.g. first live album, first to be recorded on eight track, etc. Even with all the media attention their recordings first in Australia and then in England failed to grab the public’s attention and they fell apart in the U.K. at the end of 1969.Two members later turned up in Manfred Mann Chapter Three. Mike Hugg actually produced their second album.

          Anthem/Take Time                                                               (Festival)    1968

           Listen/Minuet For Moderns                                                  (Festival)    1968

           Every American Citizen/Essentially Susan                          (Festival)    1968

           One Day In Every Week/Wigwam City                               (Festival)    1969

          Albums

          Live At Sebastians                                                                (Festival)    1968

           Self Titled                                                                             (Festival)    1968

 

  •  Puppy- Nothing known about this band except that they recorded just the one single of pop psych on a minor label.

           Belinda/Elizabeth Street                                                        (Natec)      1968

 

  • Purple Hearts-Formed in Brisbane in 1964.Englishmen Mick Hadley and Bob Dames had played on the London R&B scene with Cyril Davies Allstars and Graham Bond before emigrating to Australia. The band were renowned for their tough, uncompromising R&B and were particularly big in Melbourne in 1966.Lobby Loyde, their legendary guitarist left in early ’67 and after their split later in the year their drummer Tony Cahill joined The Easybeats in England. In 1970 Dames and Mick Rogers (ex Procession, pre Manfred Mann Chapter 3)put together the short lived power trio Bulldog.

         Of  Hopes And Dreams And Tombstones/I’m Gonna Try        (Sunshine)   1966

          Early In The Morning/Just A Little Bit                                      (Sunshine)    1966

          You Can’t Sit Down/Tiger In Your Tank                           (Sunshine)     1967

 

 

 

R

  • Marty Rhone-Of Dutch/Indonesian descent he recorded a wide variety of material, but was basically trying to find his mark amongst the big names of the times such as Normie Rowe, Ray Brown, Billy Thorpe, etc. Two tracks, Village Tapestry and Green Mansions could be of interest to psych collectors. Some of his early singles were decent beat, but any of his later material recorded after a stint in Vietnam was very average.

          She Is Mine/Village Tapestry                                               (Spin)        1966

          Green Mansions/Lonely Too Long                                      (Spin)         1967

 

  •  Normie Rowe-Hugely popular between 1965 and 1967.Teenage girls created mass hysteria similar to The Beatles at his appearances and concerts. His early singles were guaranteed to be top ten, if not number one. His producers picked some unusual tracks for him to cover and always seemed to come up with interesting arrangements and strong production and backing, usually by The Playboys. There was little more for him to prove in Australia, so towards the end of !966 he headed to England and worked with producers and session musicians such as John Carter, Jimmy Page, John Paul Jones and Clem Cattini. These sessions produced more successful singles in Australia, but he made little impression in the UK despite touring with the likes of The Troggs, David Garrick, Spencer Davis Group, Gene Pitney and Julie Driscoll, Brian Auger and Trinity. He then tried his luck in the U.S. where he toured, with Roy Orbison, then returned to Australia before returning to England to do some studio sessions with Giorgio Gomelsky  which again charted well in Australia. Things started to slip after this and he was then drafted and headed off to Vietnam at the beginning of 1968.On his return his career never again reached the heights of the mid 60’s.As he released about 30 singles it is pointless listing them all. None are really psych, but there are some good beat, pop and pop/psych among them. Best of compilations may be the way to go. He also released a number of albums, but nothing that you would say is an essential purchase.

          It Ain’t Necessarily So/Gonna Leave                                            Sunshine 1965

          I(Who Have Nothing)/I Don’t Understand                                           “          “

          I Confess/Everything’s Alright                                                             “          “

          Que Sera Sera/Shakin’ All Over                                                           “           “

          Tell Him I’m Not Coming Home/Call On Me                                      “          “

          It’s Not Easy/Mary Mary                                                                       “       1967

          Going Home/I Don’t Care                                                                     “           “

          But I Know/Sunshine Secret                                                                  “           “

          Penelope/Lucinda                                                                                   “          “

  •  Running Jumping Standing Still-Formed after the split of the wild Missing Links, they continued in their tradition releasing two tough R&B covers that were perhaps out of step for the times. Renowned for great live shows with plenty of feedback. Guitarist Doug Ford left to join the masters Apprentices.

          Diddy Wah Diddy/My Girl                                                    (Sunshine)     1967

          She’s Good To Me                                                                 (Sunshine)     1967

 
 

 

 

S

  •  Somebody’s Image-Released  average versions of “Hush” and “Baby Blue”, but their last 45 was decent pop. More renowned for the fact of Russell Morris being their vocalist before he went solo.

          Hide And Seek/Livin’ In Style                                        (Columbia)       1968

 

  •  Societe-Adelaide band who released the one single that sounds much earlier than it’s actual year of  release. A-side is soft psych while the b-side is more pop with an English sound.

          A Tear Falls/Tabatha Crystilla                                           (Nationwide)     1969

 

  • Soul Agents-A one off single by Marty Rhone’s backing band, but what a track it is, hidden away on the b side. A self penned pounding punk/mod slice of freakbeat that stands up well against similar UK releases.

          I Just Want To Make Love To You/I’m Still Mad About You       Downunder      1966

  • Southern Gentlemen-Little known of them, except that they were from Adelaide, but Leave Myself To Me is a great moody piece of R&B with wailing harmonica. Very similar sound to English R&B bands of the same time.

           Leave Myself To Me/ ?                                                                       Festival        1965

 

 

  • Spectrum (pic above)-Formed by New Zealander Mike Rudd who had been a member of the mighty Chants R&B. They are sometimes confused with the English band of the same name as I’ll Be Gone was released in England. They really had nothing in common as they were one of the early Australian underground  progressive bands that unusually gained mainstream recognition when the above single went to number one, although it wasn’t really representative of their usual output. Prog. collectors would be interested in their and their alto egos, the Indelible Murtceps releases.

           I’ll Be Gone/Launching Place Pt 2                                   (Harvest)    1971

 

  • The Sunsets-Started in Newcastle (N.S.W.) as The Four Strangers, they were always aligned with the surf scene. They released some great tough R&B singles and as the times and music sounds changed so did their name. They became one of Aust. earliest acid/prog bands in Tamam Shud, still keeping in touch with their surf roots by appearing on soundtracks like Morning Of The Earth.

          Love’s Face/I Want Love                                                                  Festival      1967

          Hot Generation/That’s What It’s All About                                      Festival      1967

 

 

T

  • TAMAM SHUD – A Sydney band formed in 1968,they were one of the first bands to take in the heavier psych sounds of bands like Cream, Jimi Hendrix Experience and the (New) Animals. They formed out of bands, The Four Strangers, who became The Strangers, who became The Sunsets. These bands released a number of  well respected surf  and tough R&B singles. They had strong ties with the surfing community and were one of the foremost groups on the then developing progressive rock scene in Australia. After a number of personnel changes they fell apart in 1972.

         Evolution/Lady Sunshine                                                                CBS    1969

         ALBUMS

         Evolution                                                                                         CBS      1969

         Goolutionites And The Real People                                                Warner    1970

 

  • BILLY THORPE AND THE AZTECS-Born in Manchester and came to Australia with his family in 1957.Never really released anything of a psych nature, but over the years he has probably become known as the closest thing to a legend in music that Aust. has produced. Early singles were good beat releases, this was followed by a MOR period full of ballads. By 1969 and then into the early 70s they were renowned for their loud, heavy blues full of riffs and extended jams. Countless musicians passed through the band before he left for Los Angeles in 1976, establishing a mildly successful career as a solo artist and setting up a successful production and recording business.

         Blue Day/You Don’t Love Me                                                        Linda Lee     1964

          Poison Ivy/Broken Things                                                                   “      “           “

          Sick And Tired/About Love                                                             Parlophone      “

 

  • THROB-Another Sydney band and yet another band that first started playing surf instrumentals and R&B before arriving at their new name in mid ’65.Both their singles are worth seeking out with their version of The Fortune Teller perhaps being better than and selling more copies in Australia than the Stones. The b side, which is also good and both sides of their second single are excellent showing something of  a turning away from R& B to a more freakbeat sound. Their drummer Colin Burgess joined The Masters Apprentices in 1968.

         The Fortune Teller/Believe In Me   Parlophone   1966                                       

          Black/Turn My Head                                     "                "                                            

 

  •  TOL-PUDDLE MARTYRS-From Victorian country town of Bendigo and previously known as Peter And The Silhouettes their first single is an excellent moody double sider that shows garage and psychedelic influences. It was released on minor labels and they were then picked up by a major label but their only other release is nowhere near as good.

          Time Will Come/Social Cell                                                 Spiral/Pacific         1967

 

  • TULLY-“Serious” musicians who formed one of the early progressive bands on the Sydney scene at the end of ’68 from the ashes of R&B band Levi Smith’s Clefs. They were certainly one of the more avant garde bands going around, always willing to experiment and improvise, displaying a variety of musical styles. Therefore their albums may be hard for some people to get into. They were also closely associated with the surfing community and were the backing band for the Aust. production of Hair.

          Krishna Came/Lord Baba                                                                   Harvest     1971

          Albums

           Tully-s/t                                                                                                Columbia   1970

           Loving Is Hard                                                                                      Harvest       1972

 

  • THE TWILIGHTS-If many of the Australian bands of the early 60s seemed to take their inspiration from the tougher sounds of the Stones, Yardbirds, Animals or Pretty Things, then The Twilights were certainly an exception. Their role models were definitely the more pop/mod side of things, such as The Beatles and The Move and The Hollies. They were renowned for their sense of fashion, harmonies and their musicianship. They formed in Adelaide and like a number of other bands had members who had emigrated from the UK. Also, like a number of other bands by winning a national battle of the bands competition in 1966 they earned themselves a trip to England. Early releases were mostly beat/mod/rock covers, but while in England they recorded three tracks at Abbey Road. These and subsequent singles released during 1967  are psych/pop gems and their second album, which was not well received at the time is also well worth tracking down. They split up in 1969 with Terry Britten going on to song writing success overseas and singer Glenn Shorrock becoming lead singer for …gulp….Little River Band. A good compilation to introduce yourself is” The Way They Played”.

          What’s Wrong With The Way I Live/9.50                                             Columbia   1967

          Young Girl/Time And Motion Study Man                                                      “            “

          Cathy Come Home/The Way They Play                                                        “            “

          Album

          Once Upon A Twilight                                                                             Columbia   1968

 

 

 

V

  •  THE VALENTINES-From Perth, they were essentially a pop band similar in approach and style to The Twilights, also with two lead singers, one who happened to be a bloke named Bon Scott who went on to a certain amount of fame in later life. A couple of their a-sides were written by Vanda/Young, but by 1970, after trying to toughen up their act when their bubblegum approach began to stall, they fell apart. One point of interest though, they were the Australian band to be arrested for possession of marijuana.

 

         She Said/To Know You Is To Love You                                                 Clarion    1967

         Peculiar Hole In The Sky/Love Makes Sweet Music                                    “         1968

         Ebeneezer/My Old Man’s A Groovy Old Man                                         Philips     1969

 

  • VEGETABLE GARDEN-A studio group put together in Perth that produced the one effect laden double sider in an effort to cash in on the success of Russell Morris’s Real Thing.

          Even Stevens/Hypnotic Suggestion                                                           Clarion    1969

 

  • VYT AND THE WORLD-Vyt was a Lithuanian with an apparently very long name who managed to get the Bee Gees in the studio to help out with their cover of The Remains'-Why Do I Cry.

          Why Do I Cry/I Haven’t Got You                                                                 CBS      1966

          Flower Children/Dapper Dan                                                                           “          1967

          Tiny Timothy/Silhouette Of A Shapely Miss                                                   “          1968

 

 

 

 

W

  • THE WILD CHERRIES-Originally started in Melbourne as a jazz/R&B band in 1964 but after break ups and reformations the 1967 line up with Lobby Loyde was renowned for its hard guitar/psychedelic sound ,with all their Festival singles being sought after. Loyde reformed the band once again for one single in 1971 which is much softer than their output at the time. A nice psych/prog piece with an environmental message.

           Krome Plated Yabby/Everything I Do Is Wrong                                         Festival   1967

          That’s Life/Try Me                                                                                           “             “

          Gotta Stop Lying/Time Killer                                                                            “         1968

          I Don’t Care/Theme For a Merry Go Round                                                     “            “

          I Am The Sea/Daily Planet                                                                            Havoc      1971

 

  • THE WILD COLONIALS-Melbourne pop/R&B band who put out a rousing cover of the Pretty Things track Get The Picture amongst their three singles.

          You Are My Destiny/Get The Picture                                                            HMV     1966

 

  • Tony Worsley & The Blue Jays-Another English born singer who was teamed up with The Blue Jays in 1964.They released a number of singles in a similar vein to Normie Rowe & The Playboys or Ray Brown & The Whispers but generally with a harder edge and wilder stage show. Although most of his material was of the rocking beat variety, his biggest hit and something he tended to become wrongly associated with was the ballad Velvet Waters. They do a great version of The Bird’s- How Can It Be on their first album. In fact some the album tracks are better and more representative of their sound than some of the singles that they were forced to release by their label.

          Talking About You/I Dream Of You                                               Sunshine      1965

          Just A Little Bit/If I                                                                          Sunshine      1965

          Something’s Got A Hold On Me/Something                        Sunshine       1966

  • WRIGHT OF WAYE-From Sydney they had all the wright (sorry!) things to make them a successful psych band, e.g  unusual name and spelling, cool clothing and a wild stage act. Unfortunately this didn’t  translate onto their two singles, except for Sun God. Their second single has more of a pop/psych feel with some phasing.

         Sun God/The Dollar Song                                                                           Philips    1968

         Penelope Play/You Can’t Do It Alone                                                         Natec        “

 

 

 

XYZ

  • ZOOT-Started out in 1966 in Adelaide and on taking on their new name they became a known mod group doing Small Faces and Hollies covers. They signed a recording deal, relocated to Melbourne and went into their “Think Pink” stage, wearing all pink clothing; something that became a millstone later on. They were leaders in the pop/bubblegum sound in Australia at the time. When Rick Springfield joined he brought with him musicianship and song writing ability. After burning all their pink gear on television they headed in a heavier more progressive direction but unable to completely shake off their past and be taken seriously, they split up in 1971.One member went on to Little River Band and Springfield became a solo star and tv soapie in the U.S.

           Monty And Me/Little Roland Lost                                                          Columbia    1969

          Hey Pinky/Strange Things                                                                              “            1970

          Eleanor Rigby/Turn Your Head                                                                      “               “

          Evil Child/The Freak                                                                                       “             !971

 

 

A few recommended Australian Psych Compilations HERE